Ovation March 13th and Covid

[SLSD]

2 hours ago, suzeluvscruz said:

I think we'll cross SB off our list!

I would not do that--just because of what you have read here.  I think this is a very difficult time for all cruise lines--and there are many factors involved--the pandemic, health requirements (all different apparently) for different countries, supply chain issues, staff issues, etc. etc.  Some of the port changes may have to do with the pandemic and government requirements.  Consider this--some ports may require that EVERYONE on the ship be tested before  anyone coming onshore.  Does a ship really want to do this?  Do YOU want them to do this?  At this point, I think there are so many asymptomatic cases of Covid--people feel perfectly well--but are carrying the virus.  To test may mean all kinds of privations for those on board.  This is NOT an easy issue.  I think Seabourn is doing the best that they can do.  And perhaps sometimes, it is not the best thing for them to tell you EVERYTHING they know.  

 

I say all this being pretty much a stickler for protocols for following the rules.  AND, I haven't sailed yet (post pandemic) because I am hassle averse.   I am in favor of everyone being tested at embarkation.  

Edited April 3, 2022 by SLSD

[purpleally]

2 hours ago, suzeluvscruz said:

I think we'll cross SB off our list!

 

2 hours ago, suzeluvscruz said:

I think we'll cross SB off our list!

Ok, more space for us

[rucrazy]

16 minutes ago, SLSD said:

I think Seabourn is doing the best that they can do.

I agree with you there..

Both my husband and I are considered high risk we have been fully vaccinated double boosted (triple if there is a call before December) we have sought out a cruise line that caters to fewer passengers. We mask when we fill it is appropriate, and this will be our first adventure in over two years. But at the end of the day we have done all WE can do and have to trust the cruise line will do what they can do to keep us as safe as possible...bottom line it's all above our paygrade.

[mskatiemae]

1 hour ago, SLSD said:

I would not do that--just because of what you have read here.  I think this is a very difficult time for all cruise lines--and there are many factors involved--the pandemic, health requirements (all different apparently) for different countries, supply chain issues, staff issues, etc. etc.  Some of the port changes may have to do with the pandemic and government requirements.  Consider this--some ports may require that EVERYONE on the ship be tested before  anyone coming onshore.  Does a ship really want to do this?  Do YOU want them to do this?  At this point, I think there are so many asymptomatic cases of Covid--people feel perfectly well--but are carrying the virus.  To test may mean all kinds of privations for those on board.  This is NOT an easy issue.  I think Seabourn is doing the best that they can do.  And perhaps sometimes, it is not the best thing for them to tell you EVERYTHING they know.  

 

I say all this being pretty much a stickler for protocols for following the rules.  AND, I haven't sailed yet (post pandemic) because I am hassle averse.   I am in favor of everyone being tested at embarkation.  

They are not always in control in regard to ports, especially. I agree they also can only tell passengers Some Things Sometimes. Otherwise we are dealing with a rumor mill which helps Noone. 

 

The very first part of the contract of carriage or "cruise agreement" we all have to acknowledge is that we accept changes made in many aspects of the trip that are deemed necessary by the cruiseline (including ports/itinerary).

[Isklaar]

58 minutes ago, rucrazy said:

I agree with you there..

Both my husband and I are considered high risk we have been fully vaccinated double boosted (triple if there is a call before December) we have sought out a cruise line that caters to fewer passengers. We mask when we fill it is appropriate, and this will be our first adventure in over two years. But at the end of the day we have done all WE can do and have to trust the cruise line will do what they can do to keep us as safe as possible...bottom line it's all above our paygrade.

 

Which cruise will you be on?

[rucrazy]

6 minutes ago, Isklaar said:

 

Which cruise will you be on?

Holiday Cruise on Sojourn 12/21-1/6 round trip out of Miami 

[Isklaar]

4 minutes ago, rucrazy said:

Holiday Cruise on Sojourn 12/21-1/6 round trip out of Miami 

 

You will have a fabulous cruise!  

Pre-Covid we had been on a Seabourn ship for the holiday cruise almost every year since we first sailed SB in 2012. I think we only skipped,one year. Sojourn is my favourite ship in the fleet. Holiday cruises with SB tend to have a special vibe, it will be a wonderful introduction to Seabourn for you both.

[rucrazy]

8 minutes ago, Isklaar said:

 

You will have a fabulous cruise!  

Pre-Covid we had been on a Seabourn ship for the holiday cruise almost every year since we first sailed SB in 2012. I think we only skipped,one year. Sojourn is my favourite ship in the fleet. Holiday cruises with SB tend to have a special vibe, it will be a wonderful introduction to Seabourn for you both.

Thanks.. before Covid we sailed Holland for the holidays.. this time I told David it was time we upgrade our holiday !🥰

 

 

Edited April 3, 2022 by rucrazy

[Covepointcruiser]

Folks who dislike Seabourn and don’t like their service should try another line.   There is no sense to cruise on a line that does not cater to you and meet your expectations.   There are other cruise lines or vacations to choose from.   

[purpleally]

46 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Folks who dislike Seabourn and don’t like their service should try another line.   There is no sense to cruise on a line that does not cater to you and meet your expectations.   There are other cruise lines or vacations to choose from.   

Well said. I concur!!!

[frantic36]

8 hours ago, suzeluvscruz said:

I think we'll cross SB off our list!

 

 

Fine if that is what you want. I read all the luxury cruise boards and currently on every board there is complaints about one of their cruises on one of their ships. At least their ships are still sailing and haven't left some people scrambling to get money back they are owed.

[texanaust]

I think there are a lot of Crystal refugees floating around on the boards (and cruises) right now.  Their expectations are based on the ‘Crystal Experience,’ but the reality is that all of the alternative choices are very different and definitely not Crystal.  Service is different, ship sizes vary, food is completely subjective, and even the crew is hired based on compatibility to the brand.

The luxury options (Silversea, SB, Regent, Oceania, Ponant) also handle covid quite differently, and this too obviously concerns some people.  

To reiterate what others have said, perhaps it is still too early for some to consider a return to cruising.  Land holidays might be a safer option, or just wait until cruise lines have sorted out their procedures and have retrained their crew.

[tv24]

We have 7 friends on board on the Ovation crossing right now.  3 of the 7 have caught Covid and have had to isolate.  We will see them when they arrive in Lisbon and I am sure we will hear a lot of their adventures, both good and bad.

[Francophile]

With regard to the question raised about the legal authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, here is the information:  https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/specificlawsregulations.html

[TUCHIK]

6 hours ago, tv24 said:

We have 7 friends on board on the Ovation crossing right now.  3 of the 7 have caught Covid and have had to isolate.  We will see them when they arrive in Lisbon and I am sure we will hear a lot of their adventures, both good and bad.

Hope Dale and Larry aren't part of the 3.

You also have 2 more friends who caught Covid at the end of the March 13 cruise, testing positive on March 29. Still isolating.  I had mild symptoms and still tested positive 2 days ago. Cecilia had no symptoms and tested negative 2 days ago. 

Hope you are both keeping well.

 

Brian

[tv24]

1 hour ago, TUCHIK said:

Hope Dale and Larry aren't part of the 3.

You also have 2 more friends who caught Covid at the end of the March 13 cruise, testing positive on March 29. Still isolating.  I had mild symptoms and still tested positive 2 days ago. Cecilia had no symptoms and tested negative 2 days ago. 

Hope you are both keeping well.

 

Brian

Hi Brian:  Thanks for getting in touch and sorry about your positive (and Cecilia's!) status.  Honestly, I caught Covid on the Queen Mary in December, so I have not been immune.  But mild symptoms for me as well.  I am a bit uncomfortable about personal info on CC, so send an email to Dayle to get a report on what she and Larry have experienced.

 

Nice to hear from you...Tom and Ron, currently in Lisbon.

[Txcotn]

On 4/3/2022 at 11:03 AM, AtA said:

Yes he and I were one of the 40 wearing masks. Thankfully on our excursions people masked in the busses.

We did go to shows masked but also made it a point to sit away from others.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? 😉 Will you be posting a review of the other aspects of your SB cruise?

[purpleally]

3 hours ago, suzeluvscruz said:

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? 😉 Will you be posting a review of the other aspects of your SB cruise?

Not sure what “Mrs Lincoln” thought, but I thought the cruise was wonderful. But, we went for the ship and not to socialize.  We were Uber careful about masks and safety.

 

 

[AtA]

19 hours ago, suzeluvscruz said:

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? 😉 Will you be posting a review of the other aspects of your SB cruise?

I have already both here and on the FB page but to recap:

The crew onboard Seabourn was as personable as what we experienced on Crystal. The senior crew (Captain, etc) were definitely more visible and approachable.

However our stewardesses while wonderful and friendly were lacking. We asked the first day for grapes and nuts for the room and we asked multiple times. By Thursday, still no nuts. 

Wednesday night Amex left two glasses of brandy along with strawberries and cream. We didn't eat the strawberries and cream and went on Thursday on an all day tour. When we returned Thursday evening, the strawberries and cream were still sitting on the table, (YUCK!) but the brandy had been removed. We then called down to get some caviar and when the waiter brought it, we showed him the strawberries and cream that was still sitting there. His comment was, "That is unacceptable." He removed it for us.

We then mentioned how we had been asking for grapes and nuts everyday but hadn't received them. He went and got us both.

 

On Friday we went out and when we got back to our room later in the day the grapes had been removed but they had brought another bowl of nuts so we now had two bowls. By the end of the cruise we had gotten one more "jar" (not on a plate but in a covered jar) of grapes but had also wound up with 4 bowls of nuts in the room.

And I had also asked for almond milk gelato from F and B since I can't do milk based and their vegan option was just bad. I asked the first day and finally after 1 week got the almond milk gelato, which was excellent btw.

The CD was the best we've ever experienced. He was everywhere and so personable.

Better prizes at trivia and it was definitely harder and it didn't seem to be just a rehash of old clues. Additionally, the CD and assistant CD ran it and one day officers (including the captain) created a team and played against the rest of us. That was a lot of fun

Food is always subjective but I found it hit or miss. Some truly excellent dishes and some just so-so. Thomas Keller was excellent. Sushi was very good but limited. Earth and Ocean was very good. Breakfast offerings weren't as extensive as we were used to. Waffles and pancakes were so-so. Chocolate croissants when they had them which wasn't daily were excellent. Other pastries were ok. Muffins were like lead weights.

Their version of Bistro was pitiful with just four sad looking sandwiches and a few pastries but the coffee I'm told was better than Bistro. I'm told the gelato was excellent.

Not enough indoor quiet places to go sit and relax.

The singers were truly top notch but the shows reminded me of HS productions which is a shame because these singers deserved better. They truly showed their talents at the pool deck parties.

Much better parties on the pool deck and more frequent. (Think White Night on pool deck and themed too.) Lots of fun and some done at cocktail hour and at sail away.

While cabin size on Seabourn is comparable to Crystal PH cabin, I found the Crystal cabin laid out better and it did not feel as tight. I also found storage on Crystal in the PH better although in terms of looks, this cabin definitely was elegant.

Tours were well done although most were 6-7 hours long. This might have been because of where we were but I personally would have preferred some shorter tours.

One thing is that if it's cold or rainy, there is really no large enough gathering space for all similar to the central area on the Crystal ships and the older Regent ships. (I can't comment about the newer Regent ships since i haven't been on them.) So what happens when the pool deck can't be used for parties? 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by AtA

[Txcotn]

Thank you! I searched for your review but must have searched just before you posted. You have certainly covered the gamut of questions, much appreciated! I'm not on FB so wouldn't have seen it there. Many thanks.

[frantic36]

7 hours ago, AtA said:

So what happens when the pool deck can't be used for parties? 

 

 

I know on the Odyssey Class ship and probably on Ovation the party is done in The Club. Have been to Halloween parties and other themed parties there.

[AtA]

2 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

I know on the Odyssey Class ship and probably on Ovation the party is done in The Club. Have been to Halloween parties and other themed parties there.

The club is a fun space but it wasn't even large enough for the 18 groups for trivia.

[AtA]

8 hours ago, suzeluvscruz said:

Thank you! I searched for your review but must have searched just before you posted. You have certainly covered the gamut of questions, much appreciated! I'm not on FB so wouldn't have seen it there. Many thanks.

I think because I did it piecemeal.

Also if it wasn't for them trying to hide covid from us assuming we'd all "panic", I would feel better about trying them again. 🙂

Edited April 7, 2022 by AtA

[SusieQft]

4 hours ago, AtA said:

Also if it wasn't for them trying to hide covid from us assuming we'd all "panic", I would feel better about trying them again.

It sounds like most lines are now "hiding covid" as much as they can, at least until it gets so out of control that active measures or segment cancellations are required.

[Covepointcruiser]

I wonder if the Captain announced there is COVID onboard (and this will always be the case even if non detected), would Seabourn passengers actually go back to wearing masks and being socially distant?    Anyone worried about their health because of risk factors should already be wearing masks.   COVID infections are increasing in many areas of the U.S. so cases on any ships are likely.